Violin shoulder safety pad



Aug. 9, 1949. J. E. HALL VIOLIN SHOULDER SAFETY PAD Filed May 25, 1948 INVENTOR. JOSEPH E HALL A T TORNE) Patented Aug. 9, 1949 UNITED STATES iATENT OFFICE i IQLlN SHOULDER SAFETY PAD Joseph E. Hall, San Diego, Calif.

Application May 25, 1948, Serial No. 29,113

9 Claims. (Cl. 84--280) My invention relates to violin shoulder safety pads, and its objects are to provide a better means of lodging without discom ort the bottom bacl; of a violin upon the hiunan shoulder while the violin is being played and to free, so far as possible, the necessity of additional support from the left hand of the player while fingering the strings; to furnish a cushion for the shoulder from the direct contact of the adjacent end of the violin so as to relieve the pressure thereof, while at the same time permitting the bottom or sounding board of such violin to vibrate to capacity in the production of a full volume of sound and to improve the tone thereof; to enable the pad to be readily adjusted to fit diiferent makes and shapes of violins and also to be made in sizes con orming in a large range to the body frame of the individual player; to permit the pad to be quickly secured to the violin and readily renioved therefrom without undue effort upon the part of the user; to reduce the necessity of constant and unremitting pressure of the chin upon the chin rest in order to keep the violin in playing position upon the shoulder; to construct the pad so compact and of such convenient size as to allow the same to be conveniently packed into an ordinary violin case together with the violin and to be carried therewith; to render the parts of the pad accessible for inspection, adjustment, replacem nt, restoration and repair, and generally to provide a shoulder pad which is simple and economical of construction, efficient in action and of prolonged life and durability. These and other objects will appear from the drawing and as hereinafter described and set forth.

As the violin is being'played today, it is the common practice to rest the end of the bottom back thereof upon the left shoulder, and to main tain this portion of the violin in such position either by lifting the shoulder so as to press said portion upwardly against the chin, or through twisting the human neck and depressing the chin downwardly against such portion so as to hold the same against the shoulder; either case requiring the assistance of the left hand to grasp the neck of the violin and to hold it in playing position. By reason of the fact that the -fingers of the left hand must slide up and down said violin neck in fingering the strings, and because of the diiilculty of maintaining constant and sufii cient pressure upon the end portion of the violin between the chin and shoulder of the player, it frequently becomes displaced or dislodged from ts playing position, and as a result thereby imposes considerable nervous strain upon the player and tends to interfere with his performance. f'hese disadvantages, however, are largely removed or alleviated through the use of my invention, as will more particularly hereinafter at large appear.

.ittention is hereby directed to the accompanying drawing, illustrating a preferred form of invention, in wh similar numerals of designation refer to s ar parts throughout the several views, and in which- Figure 1 is an isometric View of my improved pad and means of attachment thereof, looking at the same from above, the outline of the underneath adjacent portion of a conventional violin to which said pad is attached being shown in dashed or dotted lines;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged view of the clamp and cushion secured thereto shown in Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is an enlarged view of the connector sup port shown in Fig. i;

Fig. 4 is a further enlargement of one of the guideways at one end of the support shown in Fig. 3, and

Fig. 5 is a cross section of Fig. 2, showing the formation of the cushion and adjacent parts.

Referring to the drawing, I construct the main body of my improved pad with the seat 5, preferably of a strip of sheet metal, generally rectan- U; gular in shape, having an extended portion at one side which is cut and folded back upon itself to form the clamp 'l. Firmly affixed to the under side of the seat 5 by the covering 8 is the cush ion 9, of sponge rubber or other suitable material; the covering 3 being preferably of soft fabric and formed and stitched as shown to overlap the ends of the said seat. Preferably, the bottom of said cushion and covering encasing the same are rounded and contoured so as to make soft engaging contact with the hollow of the shoulder in which they are to be lodged.

Shaped to be releasably secured within clanip l is the connector support ill, preferably formed of a strip of sheet m tal with each end looped back upon itself to form the guideways ii and 52, in which slide the arms [3 and M of the spring frame 55; the said frame being U- shaoed in form, and having welded to the bow it thereof the upwardly extending lug ll As shown, both the said bow lug are preferably encased in the fabric covering l3, and are positioned so that the said lug may make registering contact with the end of the bottom back of the violin without abrading or scarring the same. Joining the said arms is and it about the middle portions thereof is the brace I9 formed in two parts with threaded ends connected by the turn buckle 20; the outer portions of said arms being spread and terminating in the upwardly extending ends forming the catches 2i and 22, each of which is preferably covered with fabric similar to the covering l3, and is shaped to make ripping registering contact with the opposite sides of the bottom end of the violin.

If desired each of the guide-ways H and i2 may be supplied with the flat spring 23 having its ends firmly secured to the inner wall thereof and being bowed to make sliding engaging resilient contact with the adjacent portions of the arms l3 and 14; whereby the support iii may be slid and adjusted in various desired positions to suit the body frame of the individual player.

Preferably located underneath the bow l6 and lug I! and within the covering I8 is an insert of rubber-like material similar to that of the filling 9, serving further to cushion and protect the collar bone of the player from chafing or uncomfortable contacts with the adjacent end of the violin, and to insure against displacement the desired lodgment of the pad in the hollow of the shoulder just below the collar bone. Also the frame i is preferably formed from flexible metallic wire of substantial tensile strength, which while allowing considerable spring resilience, nevertheless is sufficiently pliant to allow the bending of theouter portions of the arms l3 and I4 so as readily to be adjusted to make the gripping contact required of the catches 2| and 22 in securing the device to the body of the violin.

In applying my improved pad to the violin, the outer portions of arms l3 and [4 are spread or contracted to the extent necessary to cause the catches 2| and 22 to make resilient engaging contact with the edges of the back of the violin at or near the beginning or the rearward swell thereof, so that upon moving backwardly the frame of the pad about one eighth of an inch the lug ll will spring into position below the tailpiece pin and will make resilient engaging contact with the rear of the violin. As so mounted, a three point attachment of the device to the violin will thereby be effected, with clearance from all parts of the violin except at these points of contact. To remove the device from the violin, the lug I! is first unhooked therefrom, and the frame slid forward to effect detachment of the catches from the edges of the swell thereof.

My invention may be embodied in other specific forms without departing from the spirit or essential characteristics thereof. The present embodiment, as above set forth is therefore to be considered in all respects as illustrative and not restrictive, the scope of my invention being indicated by the appended claims rather than by the foregoing description, and all changes which may come within the meaning and range of equivalency of the claims are therefore intended to be embraced therein.

What I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In a device of the character described, the combination of a resilient U-shaped frame, a shoulder pad adjustably mounted thereon, and

three point attachment means clear of the tail piece pin for removably securing said frame to the bottom back of a violin.

2. In a device of the character described, the combination of a resilient frame, a shoulder pad adjustably mounted thereon, and three point attachment means for removably securing said frame to the bottom back of a violin with full clearance therefrom except at said points of attachment.

3. In a device of the character described, the combination of a resilient U-shaped frame, a shoulder pad adjustably mounted thereon and removable therefrom and separate attachment means for securing each the bow and arms of said frame to the bottom back of a violin.

4. In a device of the character described, the combination of a resilient U-shaped frame, a turn buckle brace connecting the arms thereof and serving to maintain the inner portions of said arms in parallel relation and allowing the outer portions of said arms to be outwardly bent, a shoulder pad slidably and adjustably mounted upon said inner portions, and attachment means for removably securing the bow and arms of said frame to the bottom back of a violin.

5. In a device of the character described, the combination of a resilient U-shaped wire frame, to the bow of which is firmly secured an upwardly projecting lug serving as a hook, and the arms of which frame are provided with upwardly extending securing catches, said lug and catches being positioned to effect removable attachment to the bottom back of a violin; and a shoulder pad adjustably mounted upon the underside of said frame and removable therefrom.

6. In a device of the character described, the combination of a resilient U-shaped wire frame; an upwardly projecting lug serving as a hook firmly secured to the middle of the bow of said frame, whose ends are bent upwardly to form securing catches, said bow, lug and catches being positioned to efiect removable attachment to the bottom back of a violin; a support slidably mounted upon said arms; a protective shoulder pad, and means for detachably securing said pad to said support.

7. In a device of the character described, the combination of a resilient U-shaped wire frame, a turn buckle brace connecting the arms thereof and serving to maintain the inner portions of said arms in parallel relation and allowing the outer portions of said arms to be outwardly bent; an upwardly projecting lug serving as a hook firmly secured to the middle of the bow of said frame, whose ends are bent upwardly to form securing catches, said bow, lug and catches being covered with protective coverings and being positioned to effect removable attachment to the bottom back of a violin; a support slidably mounted upon the said inner portions of said arms; a protective shoulder pad, and means for detachably clamping said pad to said support.

8. In a device of the character described, the combination of a resilient U-shaped wire frame, a turn buckle brace connecting the arms thereof and serving to maintain the inner portions of aid arms in parallel relation and allowing the outer portions of said arms to be outwardly bent; an upwardly projecting lug serving as a hook firmly secured to the middle of the bow of said frame, whose ends are bent upwardly to form securing catches, said bow, lug and catches being covered with protective coverings with cushioning inserts therein and being positioned to effect removable attachment to the bottom back of a violin; a support slidably mounted upon the said inner portions of said arms; a pad contoured and shaped to make engaging contact with the hollow of a human shoulder below the collar bone thereof, said pad comprising a seat of sheet metal, an extension folded back thereon and forming a clamp, and a rubber-like cushion with covering therefor serving to attach the same to said seat, and said clamp serving to removably attach said seat to said support.

9. In a device of the character described, the combination of a resilient U-shaped wire frame, a turn buckle brace connecting the arms thereof and serving to maintain the inner p0r= tions of said arms in parallel relation and allowing the outer portions of said arms to be outwardly bent; an upwardly projecting lug serving as a hook firmly secured to the middle of the bow of said frame, whose ends are bent upwardly to form securing catches, said bow, lug and catches being covered with protective coverings with cushioning inserts therein and being positioned to efiect removable attachment to the bottom back 6 of a violin; a strip of sheet metal, forming a support with ends looped back to form guideways within which slide the inner portions of said arm against the yielding pressure of a spring installed therein; a shoulder pad comprising a rubber-like cushion and back and covering therefor, and means for detachably clamping said pad to said support.

JOSEPH E. HALL.

REFERENCES CITED The following referenices are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,958,451 Syverston May 15, 1934 

